Maricopa County, AZ Trash & Recycling: Illegal Dumping (2026)
Key Facts
- Offense class
- Class 1 Misdemeanor
- Citation
- Ordinance P-11, § 205(b)
- Enforced by
- County Abatement Officer
- Scope
- Unincorporated Maricopa County only
- Alternative remedy
- County abatement, costs billed to owner
Summary
In unincorporated Maricopa County, dumping rubbish, trash, filth or debris on property you don't own or control is a Class 1 Misdemeanor under County Ordinance P-11, enforced the same way as a zoning violation.
Places any rubbish, trash, filth or debris upon any private or public property located in the unincorporated areas of the County which is not owned or under the control of the person, firm or corporation.
Full Breakdown
Maricopa County's Abatement Ordinance (P-11) splits rubbish violations in unincorporated territory into two tiers. Letting trash, weeds, filth, debris or a dilapidated building accumulate on property you occupy is a Class 2 Misdemeanor. Dumping rubbish, trash, filth or debris on private or public land you don't own or control, the county's illegal-dumping provision, is the more serious Class 1 Misdemeanor, enforced the same way as a Maricopa County Zoning Ordinance violation. The county's Abatement Officer, housed in the Department of Planning and Development, investigates complaints and can order removal and assess cleanup costs against a noncompliant owner under the ordinance's separate abatement process.
Violations & Fines
Illegal dumping on another's property is a Class 1 Misdemeanor, enforced the same as a Maricopa County Zoning Ordinance violation; the county's Abatement Officer can also order removal and bill cleanup costs to violators.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is illegal dumping a crime in unincorporated Maricopa County?
Does this rule apply inside Phoenix or Mesa?
What if I just let trash pile up on my own property instead?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Maricopa County
Compare Maricopa County to another location·View the Arizona trash & recycling overview
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